The Importance of Child-Safe Blinds for The Public Sector
In commercial and public buildings where children have access, it’s vital that any blinds fitted are safe for children. Since 2001, at least 35 young children have died as a result of looped cords on blinds. This risk can be easily avoided by only installing and supplying blinds that comply with child safety regulations.
The BBSA’s ‘Make it safe’ campaign promotes window blind safety in all homes, public buildings and other environments where babies and young children may be present.. These regulations state that “if you have an environment where children under the age of 42 months are present or likely to have access you must install blinds which are compliant with the child safety requirements of BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014”.
There are a few ways of doing this, both for new and existing blinds. Existing blinds fitted before 2014 must still comply with the child safety requirement determined by British Standards. The simplest way to do this is by reducing chain or cord lengths where possible, and fitting safety devices to keep chains and cords under tension so they do not form a loop.
New chain or cord operated blinds must be manufactured so that the chain length complies with the safety regulations. For more information on this, click here.
Inherently Child-Safe Blinds
An inherently child-safe blind is one that by design complies with the child safety regulations put in place by the EU. This means the blind does not have looped cords or chains.
Crank operated, or wand operated, blinds are inherently child safe as they are operated using an attached crank handle. These blinds are ideal for schools as they tend to be robust and easy to operate. They aren’t the prettiest to look at though, but they are a budget-friendly option if that is the primary concern.
However, in our opinion, motorised blinds are the best option for the majority of buildings. Not only are they inherently child safe but they are also aesthetically pleasing as there is no chain or crank handle. Motorised blinds are operated either by radio remote, wall switch or a BMS (building management system).
With the advances in battery technology in recent years, there are more options than ever for retrofitting motorised blinds into existing buildings and windows. Unsafe blinds can be removed and replaced with a battery-powered, motorised blind without any additional wiring or structural work needed.
For new builds, we always recommend hard-wired, mains powered blinds. Wiring your blinds into mains power gives you more reliability and there are more options for controlling your blinds. Mains powered blinds can be individually controlled, controlled in groups, or using a BMS. You can even set up sequences using a BMS so that the blinds will automatically open and close. Not only will your building comply with child safety regulations, but you can also make it more energy-efficient or productive.
To learn more about motorised blinds, check out some of our guides and articles here:
For more information on the BBSA’s ‘Make it Safe’ campaign, click here.